The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Is there a fire in the sky
Is there a moon up there
Is anything alive now
This darkness is what I hear
This is a breathless silence
A moment out of time
I see your face in the shadows
The tell-tale signs are in your eyes
More than I can hold in my hand
Running through the gaps like water
Aching with a passion inside
Deep as the river
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
Is there a flame in the dark
Is there a bright heart star
These creatures look the same now
We freeze wherever we are
We wake alone in the blackness
We sleep whenever we fall
One dream all around us
This big hush infects us all
Holding up an animal fear
Soaking up the waves underwater
Tuned to music no-one can hear
Forever in this half-light
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
More than I can hold in my hand
Running through the gaps like water
Aching with a passion inside
Deep as the river
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
Turning this night inside
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
Is there a moon up there
Is anything alive now
This darkness is what I hear
This is a breathless silence
A moment out of time
I see your face in the shadows
The tell-tale signs are in your eyes
More than I can hold in my hand
Running through the gaps like water
Aching with a passion inside
Deep as the river
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
Is there a flame in the dark
Is there a bright heart star
These creatures look the same now
We freeze wherever we are
We wake alone in the blackness
We sleep whenever we fall
One dream all around us
This big hush infects us all
Holding up an animal fear
Soaking up the waves underwater
Tuned to music no-one can hear
Forever in this half-light
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
More than I can hold in my hand
Running through the gaps like water
Aching with a passion inside
Deep as the river
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
All desire
The ashes and the fire
Turning this night inside
Turning this night inside
Turning this night inside
And the light from you
Lyrics submitted by anemic_knifeprty
Fish Below the Ice Lyrics as written by Carl Marsh Barry William Andrews
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Word Collections Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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Seems like sometimes the lyrics you input are not the ones loaded onto the page. Don't know why but editing does not seem to help so...
Well, the mouth is open and a noise comes out Ain't no reason for it, just a need to shout It's malnutrition, we could fall apart It's never delicate, just something from the iron age
We shake it up and we break it down The sound of a satellite saying, "Get me down" Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Hear the voice of America in your home town
Well, the film is running till the film runs out There's no point of focus, it zooms in and out It's information and it leaves no mark It's just as permanent as painting in the iron age
I'm plugged in and loaded Don't forget to phone in The self-destruct is holding I'm counting, I'm counting, but only to three
We get it right sometimes We shine a light sometimes We see the fish below the ice sometimes Stand up and fight sometimes We get the fright sometimes How will we ever pay the price this time?
Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down The sound of a satellite saying, "Get me down" Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down It's east European, west European It's moving so fast it goes all the way round
Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down (Yeah, he's on a mission from god) (But he don't know whose and he don't know why) Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down (Says I'm not a light in the darkness) (More like a shadow on the lungs) Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down (I'm balanced here on the edge of anger) (I'm standing here on an empty page) Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down (Sooner or later they'll start receiving) (I've been standing here for days)
Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down Hear the voice of America in your home town Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down It's east European, west European It's moving so fast it goes all the way round
We get it right sometimes We shine a light sometimes We see the fish below the ice sometimes Stand up and fight sometimes We get the fright sometimes How will we ever pay the price this time?
Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down The sound of a satellite saying, "Get me down" Yeah, we shake it up and we break it down It's east European, west European It's moving so fast it goes all the way round
We get it right sometimes We shine a light sometimes We see the fish below the ice sometimes Stand up and fight sometimes We get the fright sometimes How will we ever pay the price this time?
We get it right sometimes We shine a light sometimes We see the fish below the ice sometimes Stand up and fight sometimes We get the fright sometimes How will we ever pay the price this time?
We get it right sometimes We shine a light sometimes We see the fish below the ice sometimes Stand up and fight sometimes We get the fright sometimes How will we ever pay the price this time?